Oakley, CA Tornado History — 19 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Oakley, CA had?
Oakley has had 19 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Oakley?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Oakley was an Unrated on April 21, 2022.
When is tornado season in Oakley?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Oakley, with 7 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Oakley
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 3 total, averaging 0.1 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Have any tornadoes near Oakley been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Oakley from any of the 19 tornadoes since 1950. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Oakley
About Tornadoes in Oakley
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Oakley, California, located in Contra Costa County east of the San Francisco Bay Area, has experienced 19 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. This relatively modest total reflects the region's Mediterranean climate, where tornadoes are far less common than in the central United States. The overwhelming majority of these events—16 of the 19 recorded—were rated EF0, the weakest classification on the Enhanced Fujita scale, indicating wind speeds below 85 mph and typically minor damage limited to trees, signs, and loose structures.
Tornado activity in the Oakley area peaked during the 1990s, when seven tornadoes were documented within the 25-mile search radius. The 1980s saw five events, while the 1960s, 1970s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s each recorded between one and two tornadoes. April stands out as the most active month, accounting for seven of the 19 total events. This spring peak aligns with broader patterns across California, where the clash between cool Pacific air masses and warming inland valleys can occasionally produce the atmospheric instability necessary for tornado formation.
Remarkably, none of the tornadoes on record near Oakley have resulted in fatalities. The costliest event occurred on April 25, 1994, when an F0 tornado caused $27,500 in property damage along a 0.7-mile path with a maximum width of 30 yards. The widest tornado touched down on April 1, 1996, reaching 150 yards across during its 0.3-mile track, though it caused no reported damage. The longest-track tornado was an EF1 event on January 23, 2010, which traveled 1.6 miles with a narrow maximum width of just 2 yards and caused $25,000 in damage.
The most recent tornado in the area was an unrated event on April 21, 2022, with a maximum width of 16 yards and no recorded path length or damage. Only two tornadoes since 1950 reached EF1 intensity, while one event remains unrated. The historical record suggests that while tornadoes do occur in the Oakley vicinity, they tend to be brief, narrow, and weak compared to tornadoes in more tornado-prone regions of the country.